City Ethics, Elections, and Governance

IMPARTIAL SUMMARY BY SHARON M. TSO, CHIEF LEGISLATIVE ANALYST The City Charter establishes the structure, powers, functions, processes and responsibilities of City government. The City is proposing various changes and clarifications to the City Charter regarding City ethics, elections, and governance. The measure would amend the City Charter as follows: ● Prohibit the Executive Director and Commissioners of the Ethics Commission from running for any City elected office or Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education office for at least five years after leaving their positions, thereby establishing a five-year post-service ban on running for City or Los Angeles Unified School District elected office; ● Increase the maximum monetary penalty for campaign finance violations to the greater of $15,000, adjusted annually for inflation, or three times the amount improperly reported or unlawfully contributed, expended, given, or received, per violation; ● Increase the number of signatures required to qualify a referendum petition for presentation to the City Council from 10 percent to 15 percent of the total number of votes cast in the last Mayoral election, the same percentage of signatures required for initiative petitions; ● Strengthen the independence of the Police Department Inspector General by removing the authority of the Board of Police Commissioners to direct the Inspector General not to commence or continue an investigation or audit; ● Strengthen the independence of the Fire Department Independent Assessor by removing the authority of the Board of Fire Commissioners to direct the Independent Assessor not to commence or continue an assessment or audit; ● Clarify language such that the Police Department and Fire Department would remain exempt from transfers or consolidation of departmental powers if it significantly alters or affects the primary purpose of the departments; ● Require that the City Council hold regular meetings at least weekly rather than meet at least three days per week, as currently required; ● Change the timing requirement for boards of commissioners actions to become final after 15 calendar days during which the City Council has convened in regular session rather than five meeting days of the City Council, as currently required in the Charter; ● Change the timing requirement associated with the City Council’s ability to act before an action of the Board of Police Commissioners to remove the Chief of Police becomes final to 21 calendar days during which the City Council has convened in regular session rather than ten meeting days of the City Council, as currently required in the Charter; ● Clarify that the City shall adopt and maintain ordinances and policies to ensure that City services are accessible across various languages; and ● Incorporate several technical and terminology-related changes to provisions concerning Neighborhood Councils and indicate that the definition of Neighborhood Council stakeholder shall be defined by ordinance. This measure will become effective if approved by a majority of voters.

FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT BY MATTHEW W. SZABO, CITY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER This City Charter amendment pertains to various governance areas including: facilitating language accessibility; reducing the minimum requirement for regularly held City Council meetings; increasing the required signatures for a referendum petition; updating Charter Section 470 to align with the campaign finance penalties in Section 706; prohibiting Ethics Commissioners from running for certain offices for five years; and, allowing assessments and audits of the Fire and Police departments by the Independent Assessor or Inspector General, respectively, without oversight of their boards. The reduction in Council meetings may result in General Fund cost savings from reduced translation and closed captioning services. The changes to the Fire and Police commissions may require hiring new investigators, retaining external auditors, or expanding investigative staff depending on case volume resulting in costs that cannot be determined at this time. The other governance changes are not anticipated to have a financial impact.

ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF CHARTER AMENDMENT EE VOTE YES ON MEASURE EE to strengthen ethics, accountability, independent oversight, and effective governance at Los Angeles City Hall. Measure EE strengthens the institutions responsible for holding City government accountable. It expands the authority of the Police Department Inspector General and Fire Department lndependent Assessor, providing stronger independent oversight of two of the City’s most critical public safety departments. It also strengthens campaign finance enforcement by increasing penalties for violations and establishes a five-year cooling-off period before Ethics Commissioners may seek certain elected City offices. Measure EE also modernizes how the City Council conducts its work. The City Charter currently requires Council to meet at least three days each week–an unusual mandate that makes Los Angeles an outlier among major American cities and limits the time Councilmembers have to work in their districts, meet directly with constituents, implement policy and programs, and address neighborhood needs. Measure EE requires regular weekly Council meetings while allowing additional meetings as needed, providing greater flexibility to meet at times and places that accommodate the needs of residents across the City and allow Council to conduct the public’s business efficiently and effectively. Los Angeles is a city of nearly four million people, and effective representation requires Councilmembers to work in their communities, respond to constituent concerns as they arise, and tackle complex policy challenges citywide. Measure EE also updates referendum and election procedures and advances additional reforms developed through the City’s Charter review process. Together, these reforms strengthen oversight, raise ethical standards, and modernize City government while preserving transparency and public accountability. VOTE YES ON MEASURE EE for a more ethical, accountable, and effective City government. PERSONS SIGNING ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF CHARTER AMENDMENT EE TIM MCOSKER KATY YAROSLAVSKY Councilmember, District 15 Councilwoman, District 5 City of LA City of LA DIEGO ANDRADES MARQUEECE HARRIS-DAWSON Charter Reform Commissioner Councilmember, District 8 City of LA EUNISSES HERNANDEZ Councilmember, District 1 City of LA Arguments printed are the opinions of the authors and are not checked for accuracy by any City agency. In addition, the title beneath a signer’s name is for identification purposes only and does not indicate that the individual is signing on behalf of the organization.

ARGUMENT AGAINST CHARTER AMENDMENT EE Charter Amendment EE is presented as an ethics reform measure, but buried within is a proposal to reduce Los Angeles City Council meetings from three times a week to once a week. Its primary effect is to reduce the number of public meetings where residents can watch proceedings, provide public comment, and hold elected officials accountable. After years of corruption scandals and ethics failures at City Hall, Los Angeles needs more transparency not less. Fewer public meetings mean fewer opportunities for public scrutiny and greater potential for important decisions to be shaped outside the public eye. The San Fernando Valley currently hosts City Council meetings at most once a month. If Measure EE passes, those meetings would likely occur less frequently, further limiting Valley residents’ access to their elected officials. Charter reform should expand transparency, public access, and accountability not reduce them. Vote NO on Charter Amendment EE. PERSONS SIGNING ARGUMENT AGAINST CHARTER AMENDMENT EE MONICA RODRIGUEZ Los Angeles City Councilwoman, District 7 City of Los Angeles Arguments printed are the opinions of the authors and are not checked for accuracy by any City agency. In addition, the title beneath a signer’s name is for identification purposes only and does not indicate that the individual is signing on behalf of the organization.

REBUTTAL TO THE ARGUMENT AGAINST CHARTER AMENDMENT EE VOTE YES ON MEASURE EE. Among other reforms, EE makes the Council more efficient and transparent, and increases access to elected representatives. EE allows Council business to be conducted in one meeting per week, making public participation in the process more predictable and certain. In addition, with business conducted in one meeting per week, councilmembers can spend more time in community, providing the services and doing the work for which they were elected. The opposition argument for an arbitrary number of meetings perpetuates an ineffective, inefficient, and wasteful system. The opposition also ignores Measure EE’s additional reforms: independent oversight of the Police and Fire Departments, increased penalties for campaign finance violations, and a five-year cooling-off period for Ethics Commissioners seeking certain elected offices. EE creates meaningful public access and strong independent oversight–and eliminates an antiquated, arbitrary, and wasteful practice of the City Council. VOTE YES ON MEASURE EE. PERSONS SIGNING REBUTTAL TO THE ARGUMENT AGAINST CHARTER AMENDMENT EE TIM MCOSKER KATY YAROSLAVSKY Councilmember, District 15 Councilwoman, District 5 City of LA City of LA MARQUEECE HARRIS-DAWSON DIEGO ANDRADES Councilmember, District 8 Charter Reform Commissioner City of LA Arguments printed are the opinions of the authors and are not checked for accuracy by any City agency. In addition, the title beneath a signer’s name is for identification purposes only and does not indicate that the individual is signing on behalf of the organization.